likewise



f of the'inventionf, such as-will-enable others'f ro UNITED STATES ATEN'T l CHARLES-HENRY LIKEWIsEY, or NEW YORK, N. Y.,

I STEP#Larmes.'i4 f skineaihtheaa/m which a appartiens to make and usethe semis.

My invention ,relate object, among others, being to provide a ladder which whilepossessing all Y theadvantages- DinapwkinaandStoring.sswellasionmovs.

of the most modernstep-laddersshall 1in addition to these becapable` of being folded into a very small compass for convenience in shipingfrom Iplaceto place in aI building landtfor carrying inthe .hand vfrom one building toanother or from one localityto-another where it legs of my ladder, whileand t designate the The front-legs mayeither. be parallel toeach other or may diverge as is found necessary to .use -streetaears or other means of conveyance. i l

The advantages, construction, and operation of my invention will befullypointed out in 'they appended speciiication and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form a partof this application, in which- Figure 1 is -a perspective view of myladder complete and in operative position. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing it partly folded. Fig. 3 is a detail plan 'view of .one of the joints used in the legs of my ladder. tail illustrating the method employed for attaching and securing the stay-bolts in their operative positions. Figs. 5 and (3 are views showing'- ladder compactly folded. l

For convenience of reference the same nnmerals will be used to designate the same parts throughout the several views.

The numeralsl and iff designate the front rear legs thereof.

they approach the floor. The rear legs are preferably so constructed as to always be wider apart at the bottom than the top. The legs are provided with the joints 5, located, preferably,vnear the `middle thereof. AThe front legs, at their` upper ends, are bent inwardly atan angle somewhat greater than a right angle, forming the sections (3, (shown HENRY Entn-k United States, residing.

to stepfladders, the Y Fig. lisa de-y Patent. No. 46'`Ii,-`2"60',`dated March i4, 1899.v d

Serial No. 619,432. y(Nopuniel.)

in Fig.`2,) to the inner sides eted the angles 7, to which is secured the platformB. 'The rear legs, at their upper` ends, are pivotally connected to the bent section 6 sections. At equal intervals apart throughout the .lengthof eachof the f ront legs I seeure' by rivets Vthe angles mounted and suitably secured the The rear'legs are provided, in the upper por- 'tion thereof, with the ears 1.1, designed to re shelf 13 in its proper position, said shelf bef ing supported by the narrow strips 14, the

Ward. Said strips, near areconnected by the rod 15, which is riveted or'otherwiserig'idly secured thereto. (Shown in dotted lines in Fig. '1.) l A The stepslO being secured to the front legs,

as shown, serve to brace them together, while the rear legs are provided, both in the top and bottom sections, with the braces 16 and 17 reouter or extreme ends vby rivets and at their inner or mean ends by stay bolts or b ars 18 and at their centers are riveted to'ea'eh'other. Said braces are made of lattice-iron'Jheir being twisted and bent so as to lie against the legs `parallel thereto. The inner or vided with holes which register with corre-.f spending holes in the legs 3 and 4. off/theiladl der. passed through these registering holes, andon the outer ends of-saidibojts 19, while the `.nut A the inner side of"'th'e tvlfisted seetionot the braces to the legs of the ladder,v The pair of end thereoby the transverse bar 17 ,the ends `said braces, where they are-secured to the b'nces and the legs byrivets. The upper pair of braces/16 needs n o such reinforcement, as the ygiletform S supplies this need.

when in use, the front and' rear legs are of which are rv-i inner sections of whiehcurveslightly'down the c'enter thereof, receive 'the inner ends of the pivots 12,while the endsottbe, bentseetions bearlupfagainst vthe underside of the upper step. Saidendsspectively. Said braces are secured at their inean ends of thetwo pairs ot'. braces 16 and 17 are pro-iy braces, thus rigidly uniting the ends of the 95 braces 17 is further reinforced@ at thellowerv of the front'legs and near-the centerot vsaid `ceive pivots 12, which .support themo'vable ends The bolts 17, at either end thereofQ/ar'e are located the'nnts 25) `.is screwed home against.l

of whichare bent so as'to lie against the ends roo held lin"l proper relative position toeach other l pivotally secured to the front legs by staples 22 orother preferred means and are received at the hooked 'end thereof by staples or eyes 23, secured to the rear legs.

lVhen it is desired to fold the ladder, the hooks are removed from the eyes or staples 23 yand are received by the eyes 24, located on the outer sides of the frontlegs, in the upper section thereof. l e y v One of the joints is illustrated in detail in Fig. 3 and is formed as follows: The upper section of the leg,near the lowerend thereof,is bent inwardly, formingthe section 25, then outwardly, forming parallel to the main section 26, at the lower end thereof, terminatesin an upward and outward bend, forming the hook 27, the plane of which is substantially at right angles to the longitudinal reach of the leg. Near the upper end of the section 26, on the outer side thereof, the lower section of the legis pivotally connected thereto. The washer 2,8 is received by the pivot betweenlthe two sections of the leg, the Object of which is to lessen the friction in folding and unfolding. The section 26 is further provided with ,theaperture 29, which when in operative position registers with a corresponding aperturein the lower section of the leg, said apertures being designed to receive the pin v33, which locks the joint, so to speak. Said pin is carried by the strap-spring 30, which is pivoted t0 the upper section of the legjust above the bend 25. For convenience in manipulating, this springis provided at its lower end with the outwardly-bent section 3l, which terminates in theeurve 32. The seetions 26 are provided with the ears 34, having the apertures nais 36, which unite the upper andflower sections of each leg. The lower sections of the legs, at their upper ends, have a short inner bend which is provided with anl aperture which registers with the aperture 34, receiving the other end of the journal 36. The hooks 27 prevent the lower sections of the legs from moving outwardly too far, even though the joint should not be locked by the pin 33, carried by the spring 30.

. 'lhe legs of my ladder are provided, at the 'lower ends thereof, with the malleable-iron.

feet 37, to,A which said legs are pivoted, as shown. Said feet maybe rectangular or ob' long in shape and are cach provided with the upwardlycxtcnding cars 37L and thecentral eut-away portion .'7",`adapted to receive the lower ends ofthe legs between said ears where Said legs are secured by pivots37f', which are jonrnaled Ain said cars. The feet are further provided on their points 12T, designed to engage with the floor or carpet to prevent the ladder from sliding when in usic, even though the safety springhooks 2l should by accident become broken or disengaged.

will forma desrable addition to any slep- 4the section 26, which is section of the leg. This.

35, adapted to receive the jonr- `bottoms with'thc small It is thought that those feet ladder. When it is`found'necessary to have as many of these points as possible on the bottom of the feet in order that thcymay be made the smaller, Idie cutaway portion 37" need not extend entirely through the feet.

, der, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the safety springhooks 21 afre nnhooked from the eyes 23, the pin 3l, carried by the strap-spring 30, being withdrawn, and the spring is moved outwardly, as shown, to prevent them from coming in'contact with the floor when the ladder is used in this partially-folded condition. The lower ends of the rear legs are -t-hen bent inwardly and upwardly. Next the lower end of the front legs are likewise bent inwardly and upwardly .until they occupy the position illustrated in Fig. 2. are-,again shown. The lnddercan then be used where only a lowv ladder is required. When in this position, the lower ends of. the sections 26 form the feet of the ladder. The shelf, being in its operative position, may be used to-accommodate buckets, boxes, 0r anything of the kind that may be required. I.

. When it is desired to fold the ladder into the smallest ypossible compass for shipping, cc., the curved sections Hof the shelf-supporting straps are moved downwardly till their lower ends lie against the upper braces 16. llhis of course causes the shelf to rise and lie against the outer edges of; the rear legs, immediately under the platform. Then the lower Asections of the rea-r legs are folded inwardly and upwardly till thebraees 17 lic against the straps 14. Next the lower sections of the front legs 5 arelikewiseffolded inwardly and'upwardly till the rear edges of their steps lie against the inner edges of the upper sections of said legs. 'lhe safety spring-hooks 21 are hooked into the eyes 2l, and the lower ends of the ladder thus folded are drawn together till the, braces 17, lie against the infolded steps oi the front legs. This brings the entire ladder into a `very small compass. l Y j In the construction of my ladder I prefer to use iron chiefly, making only the steps, platform, and shelf of wood, while the strapsprings 30 may be made of brass, though it will be understood that I do not limit myself in the matter of material.

Having thusfullydeseribed and illust rated self to the exact showing made, but desire protection iny all that comes clearly within the spirit and scope olf my invention.

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Vl'ietters Patent, is-

l. A ladderhavingl two heg-sections pivoted together, section lying against the forward edge ol' the lower-section belowsaid pivot-poin :unifi-ach having porforations, there being' r1 D Ewing' i perforaif'ins formed ii i. the lo\\.\r.\-ection, and

Then it is desired tomartially fold my lad- The spring-hooks 217- placed inl operativeposition, as

my invention, l yet do not ish tf iimit my lingers or extensions el.' the upper- IIC Having thus fully described my invention, I

set forth,

:t spring-controlled pin taking into each of l them, whereby the leg-sections will be locked against movement, substantially as specified and for tl're purpose set forth.

2. As en improvement in step-ladders, an upper seetiou and n lower section hinged together, the upper seetion provided in its lower end with :t eurved lip, n rivet or journal secured to en extension of the upper section and designed to pivotelly unite the lower seetion thereto, en entifrietiondvashersurround; ingg,r seid jourmtl and dispqsed between said sections :ind means consisting of a springeontrolled'pin for looking the leg-Sections in en extendedposition, as and for the purpose Si. As an' improvement in ladders, n hinge for ioinimr the upper and lower leg-sections upper section and designed to be ree'eived by zo the lower section, said sections lying substentially parallel with each lo'ther, an' antifrietion-washer interposed between them, there being perforations formed in the upper end of the'lower sections, and :L spring-controlled pin carried by the upper section and designed to t in said perforation formed in the lower section, said pin or spring having a lateral projection for manual control thereof, as specified end for the purpose set forth. y

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES HENRY LIKEWIYSE. Witnesses: l I

MARTIN F. Lnmwisn, FREDERICK D. F. SQUIRES.

an aperture in 

